What size and type of paper do I need to do the initial printhead alignment?


You will need 6 sheets of Size B (11X17) or larger. It is also possible to use the roll feeder instead, which will use a section of paper 40.25 inches in length.

In order to perform the initial alignment using the roll feeder, you will need to deviate from the instruction during setup. In the Quick Start Guide, step 4 instructs you to load paper into the cassette. If you do so, the alignment will begin using the sheets from the cassette as soon as you confirm the cassette paper size and type. If you skip this step, and instead load paper into the roll feed as instructed in the reference guide, the alignment will print from the roll feeder.

Canon support recommends using a good quality photo paper, since plain paper may have suboptimal reflectivity and ink bleed on plain paper may compromise the accuracy of the alignment There is a Wikipedia article which describes in detail various Paper Sizes